SafeContractor and other SSIP nonsense in general??

[dumper]

I’ve been asked to become safe contractor registered for a management company I work for at a cost of £1400.00, else I can’t work so I paid the registration fee and spent three days filling in forms many more than once asking all sorts of irrelevant questions, then was told my insurance was not up to the correct standard, then had to employ a h&s management company to comply with the environmental and h&s requirements so a total cost of £2700.00 which I have invoiced plus 20 % plus vat all this for a job which was originally £700.00 now it’s £3240.00 and they have nothing to show for the extra cost except paperwork.

[Mark Bolam]

That’s great if they will pay it, but I bet they’re not obliged to?

[maybelateron]

Yep, been through all that crap. In 2013 I landed a decent grounds maintenance contract for grass mowing/hedges/shrubs and tree maintenance. It was 2 miles form home and on the site of the former "county asylum" with shed loads of mature trees and woodland, as well as lawns and borders. A few months after getting the contract the external management company decided all their contractors needed to be Safecontractor registered. As it was a worthwhile contract I ran it for 3 years, and left when I got too irritated by it. I jumped through the hoops like a performing seal. Near the end of my accreditation period I had an enthusiastic phone call from a young sounding man at Safecontractor: "We are ready to sign you off now, but we just need one more document sending. Oh, what's that, I said. Your scaffolding erector's certificate he replied, for when you are working on trees". I had to explain that we don't use scaffolding to work on trees, and he accepted my explanation. 

And these people can say if we are safe on not?!

I kept my accreditation for some years after this, but as we do minimal commercial work I just got to the point where I had to tell them where to go. Felt good taking the stickers off the van. They chased me for a year or so trying to lure me back with ever cheaper membership.

When I get the occasional cold call trying sell me whatever it is for quality assurance certification, if I have time I let them go on a bit, then say I am not not interested. "But why not, good sir?" "Cos we're a small firm and I am on site for every job and that is my quality control"

Rant over.

[AHPP]